Steel retainer



Patented Sept. l5, 1925.

rUNITED* STATES 1 A-Tla1\1'r OFFICE.

DANIEL J. HAFFORD, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THEOLEVELAND ROCK DRILL COMPANY, OF

CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STEEL RETAINER.

To all whom it may concern: f

Be it known that I, DANIEL J. HAFFORD, a y citizen lof. the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and4 State of Ohio, have invented new and use- V v. p

vare turned inwardly and are integrally conful Improvements in n Steel Retainers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is directed to improvements in steelretainers 'for rock drills of the hammer type.

,The primary object of theinvention is to provide a device of .this character soconstructed that it can be easily and quickly manipulated to be moved to its operative or inoperative position as the occasion may require, and will be maintained firmly in its operative position during vthe operation 3 of the drill to limit the outward movement j ed to withdraw the steel from the hole being n terminals -of thecoil springs 16 which enof thedrill steel when not striking its work. n

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature so constructed that it will remain positively in its closedy position during operation of the drill, to limit the outward movement of the steel, or will firmly engage the` steel to cause the same to move withthe drill when it isv desirdrilled.

Alstill further object of the'` invention is to provide novel means to permit the steel engaging yoke to yield longitudinally of the .drill so as to eliminate the possibility of the retainer yoke breaking under Athe blows of the steel when not striking its work With these and other objects in view, as' will appear as the description proceeds, the invention accordingly consists in the novel features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements` of parts hereinafter to be fully described and to have the scope thereof pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, and in which similar characters ofreference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the device. Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a side elevation, showing the retainer in its open or inoperative position. Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the front head of a drill, and formed integral with the opposite sides thereof are outwardly extending diametrically disposed lugs 2, the forward sides of which are rounded, as

" at 3. while the rear sides are formed with fiat faces 4, the purpose of which .will appear later.

The retainer as a whole comprises a pair i of side arms 5, the forwardy ends of which nected with the yoke 6, whereby said arms are so spaced as to span the front head 1 iny a longitudinal direction. The rear ends of the arms 5 have formed integral therewith transversely disposed heads 7 in which are formed semi-circular seats 8, which are engaged with the round sides of thel lugs 2 and v'rotate thereon in fan obvious manner.

The heads 7 have their ends provided with bores 9 for slidablyreceiving the rear ends `The seats 14 are located adjacent the eX- tremities of the bight portions 12 of theU- bolts. These seats are engaged'by the outer circle the side rods of the U-bolts, and have their inner terminals resting against thev lalined with the bores 9 of the heads 7 and threaded upon the extended ends thereon These cross bars have centrally disposed blocks 20 carried thereby and with opposite sides thereof certain sides of the nuts 19 intimately engage.

As is well known drills of the hammer type, when ruiming, are subjected to considerable vibration which tends to loosen the nuts 19, but owing to the fact that these nuts cannot turn due to their engagement with the blocks 20, accidental rotation, and consequent loss thereof is positively prevented. y

Since the springs 16 are interposed between the seats 14 and heads 7 they con-v stantly urge the U-bolts outwardly, which action causes the cross bars 17 to yieldably engage the flat faces 4 of the lugs 2, thereby holding the reta-incr in its operative or closed position, and at the same time thecurved seats will firmly engage the round sides 3 of said lugs.

The drill steel 21 is engaged in the front head in the usual manner, and is provided with the customary collar 22, which is of such size that it cannot pass through the yoke 6 when the retainer is in its operative or closed position, and consequently the steel Acannot beremoved romthe `front head until the retainer has been moved to its open position. 'lVhen this is desired the retainer is swung onan arc, or to the. position as shown in- Fig of the drawing, and at which time the cross bars 17 will engage the round sides of the lugs 2therebypermitting 1they retainer to remain in ,its openr` position until the .drill steel has been changed, after which `upon exerting slight pressure upon the retainer the seats 8will rotate on the `roimd sides of the lugs, and the cross bars v 17 will ride from the round sides and engage the fiat faces 4, thereby locking the retainer in its closed position.

lVhile not essential, but preferable, the

lues 2 aredis osed in-.of-set relation vwith respect to the longitudinal axis of the drill, which tendsto cause the yoke 6 to more `positively engage the steel collar 22 when subjectedto blows andstrains. i

To assemble the retainer itis irst necessary to place` the springs lunder comp-reslsion in any suitable manner so that the rear endsy of the rods 10 are .extended considerable distance beyond the bars` 17, after which uthe nuts, 19 are'engaged thereon, and the springs released, whereupon the rods will be drawn forwardly through.the heads7, and the-nuts willthen engage the sides of the blocks20, as will beiobvious.

The front head 1 is urtherprovided upon oppositesides with recesses 23 which serve i as seats forthe side arms 5, and serve in conjunction with the cross bars 17 additional means for holding the retainer in its operative position, and against unintentional displacement. The inherent resiliency of the side arms will readily permit the same to snap into and out of engagement with said recesses.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a drill, a drill steel having a collar and operatively engaged with the drill, a pair of lugs carried by the drill, a steel retainer pivotally engaged with ,the lugsV and counprising a collar engaging yoke, saidyoke having side arms, U- bolts s lidably,engagedwiththe side arms, cross bars carried by the U-bolts, and having blocks thereon, nuts on the rods of the U-bolts and engaged withhthe sides of the ,blocks and means for holding the cross bars and side arms yieldably engaged with the lugs.

2. In,comb-inatio n with a drill, a drill steel having a collar and operatively engaged with the drill, a pair of lugs carriedvby the drill, a steel retainer comprising a collar engaging yoke and having its side arms pro` vided withfheads for pivotally engaging` the lugs,U-bolts having their side rods extended through the heads 4and slidably engaged therewith, seats engaged on the rods of the .U-bolts adjacent their bight'portions, cross- 1 `bars engaged with the extended ends of the side rods of the U-bolts and having-blocks carried thereby, securing devices engaged withsaid extended ends and blocks to `pre vent accidentairotatioirof `the securing devices, springs encircling thesiderods of the U-bolts and having their respective termiy nals E engaged with the seats and iheads for i holding the cross bars and heads lyieldably engaged with vthe Y lugs when the retainer is in itsopen or closed position. l

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 5

' DANIEL J. HAFFORD. 

